Fayetteville’s unique 300-acre nature area continues to move closer to completion. Another step in the process came June 6 when two groups participating in National Trail Day (NTD) cleared a trail and constructed a small bridge for cyclists and hikers.
NTD coordinator Keith Larson said 34 registered volunteers from the Southern Conservation Trust (SCT), Southside Cycling Club, Fayette Master Gardeners, Boy Scout Troop 279, friends and families provided over 120 hours of effort.
Larson said the first event project was clearing the new “Three Oaks” hiking trail that will lead from the Whitewater Creek Trail to a grove of massive oak trees that will become known as “Meditation Oaks.”
“This project is sponsored by Dennis Chase, noted local naturalist and volunteer with the Southern Conservation Trust,” said Larson.
The second project on June 6 was the construction of an 8-foot trail bridge over a gully wash on the Wild Wood Trail.
“This is an Eagle Scout (Troop 279) community service project led by Scout Jacob Hillebrand and sponsored by the Southside Cycling Club,” said Larson.
Larson said volunteers also assisted in trail maintenance while hiking, mountain biking or trail running the 5.6 miles of trails.
The Ridge is a city of Fayetteville public greenspace project. After years of desiring to develop the nature area, the city engaged Southern Conservation Trust to develop and manage the public use nature area, according to SCT.
The 308-acre site at the end of Burch Road off Ga. Highway 54 West is essentially a hardwood forest and wetland habitat situated on a ridge line between Whitewater Creek and Gingercake Creek, Larson said.
When it opens later this year, The Ridge Nature Area will feature of host of opportunities such as species research, a nature center, an outdoor classroom, community garden, picnic pavilions and a gazebo, hiking trails, running trails, mountain biking trails, geocaching and orienteering, a youth campground, restrooms and a primitive scout camp, according to SCT.
The Ridge is the fifth nature area to be owned or managed by SCT.
For more information on The Ridge Nature Area visit http://sctlandtrust.org/community-preserves/burch-rd/.
Information is also available at https://www.facebook.com/TheRidgeNatureArea.
